In a hearing over a new bill in California that would push abortion pills into health centers on college campuses, a young mom who faced an unexpected pregnancy shared her story, advocating for increased access to pro-life resources.
Leandra Wells testified with the California Family Council against AB 2540 and wrote in an April 15 article for that organization more about how pro-life centers helped her during her pregnancy.
“Students like me don’t need more abortion access,” she wrote. “We need support, resources, and hope to choose life.”
Wells became pregnant in her senior year of college, and though she was married, a baby was not part of her immediate plans. The couple was hoping to travel and establish their careers before welcoming children.
“But at the same time, life felt unstable,” Wells wrote. “My husband had just experienced a falling out with his job, so we were DoorDashing to make rent. I was taking five classes, working on campus, and deeply involved in student organizations.”
When Wells saw the positive test, she wrote that she was terrified, thinking that she could no longer pursue her career. Even though she wanted to be a mom, she didn’t feel ready at the age of 21.
“In that place of fear, I was reminded of truths I desperately needed: that fertility is a gift not everyone is given, that I had a husband and family who supported me, and that becoming a mom didn’t mean surrendering my dreams,” she wrote. “Those reminders were necessary, even for someone like me, who had always believed life begins at conception. In that moment of fear, I quietly wished it weren’t true.”
Wells’ campus health center didn’t offer her much support, but when she went to a pregnancy help center, everything changed.
“They met me in my overwhelm, not with pressure, but with compassion. They reminded me I wasn’t alone, that I had support, options, and a future. And they proved it through real care,” she wrote. “They provided free ultrasounds and medical screenings, helped me navigate school with notes for my professors, connected me with affordable care, and guided me through programs like WIC. They even supplied baby essentials at no cost.”
Wells wrote that she finally experienced peace, thanks to encouragement from the center. She graduated three weeks after giving birth and prayed that God could use her story to encourage other women facing unexpected pregnancies to choose life.
Wells wrote that what young pregnant women need is greater support, not more access to abortion, which is already widely available in the state.
“If my story has taught me anything, it’s this: fear is powerful, but it is not final,” Wells concluded. “Women are far more capable than they are often told. Motherhood and ambition are not mutually exclusive, and difficult beginnings do not determine the end of the story. That is why I spoke at AB 2540.”